Moments in Time
by Psychedelic Dust Bunny
Summary: Hashirama wants Tobirama to investigate a pink haired girl he found in the woods. A girl he found unconscious, surrounded by seals. Tobirama agrees to question the girl, not knowing what he was getting into. His personal life will never be the same again. TobiramaxSakura
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Most likely, this won't be a super flowing story (as in it is a bit of a PWP?). It will probably be more like Stardust in that it is moments through time. Some chapters might flow together, one coming immediately after the other. Depends on my muse really. Maybe it will turn into a proper story (in terms of everything flowing together). Who knows? Updates will, probably, be slow as I want to write Stardust and figure out where I was going with another one of my stories first.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

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The first time he laid eyes upon her, he had not known what to think. She had looked so small, covered in large dark bruises and small scrapes. Her demeanor almost seemed defeated, except for her green eyes. Eyes which held such fire, and, behind that, a quiet acceptance. These were not the frightened eyes of a noncombatant. No civilian would be calm in the face of a terrible fate that could befall them in the hands of less than noble men.

She had been found in unusual circumstances by his brother. It was during a twilight patrol of the clan's borders that she was discovered sprawled across the forest floor, surrounded by intricate seals burned into the yellowing grass. Her clothes had been torn with all identifying clan symbols destroyed beyond all recognition.

Logic told Tobirama that she was a potential threat to his clan, an unknown entity who was most likely a well-trained kunoichi spy. Yet, despite all the evidence towards this conclusion –her calloused hands, the fact that she instinctively reached for a non-existent kunai pouch, and the lack of shame in the indecent amount of skin she was displaying- he found himself hesitating in ordering her immediate interrogation. Instead, he just found himself watching her with curiosity. Perhaps he would deal with the girl himself?

Hashirama had left him to deal with girl for his heart was not hardened to deal with matters as grim and merciless as interrogation. His brother was too kind for his own good, refusing to go into the darker side of being a Shinobi unless he had no choice. Tobirama, however, had no such compunction. He had learnt early on in his childhood that the Shinobi path was one that could ill afford compassion towards the enemy for the enemy would have no mercy for him. His dead brothers were a testament towards that.

As he regarded her calmly, the girl became more restless, idly fiddling with a loose string from her clothing. Seeing as he was under the guise of an unassuming and unremarkable brown haired man, there was no way for her to identify who she was dealing with. He had taken this form in case she escaped and reported to one of their enemies or, worse, a currently neutral party. It was entirely possible that his brother had committed a faux pas and taken an unaligned clan member. Albeit that was an unlikely scenario, it would not do to have another Shinobi group interfere in the foray between the Senju and the Uchiha. Especially since a treaty or a temporary truce was becoming more and more foreseeable. A third party could upset the balance in power between the two clans and kick start the war again.

"State your name."

The pink haired girl merely narrowed her eyes at him, pressing her lips into a thin line. A clear sign of refusal to cooperate. He ignored her resistance and went to his next question.

"Where do you hail from?"

Still no response.

"What can you tell me about the seals surrounding where you were found?"

At last, the girl reacted. Her brow wrinkled and her mouth twisted into a frown.

"Wh-what seals?"

Her voice was soft, delicate even. A stark contrast to her bedraggled appearance. The Senju narrowed his eyes. Perhaps she had some memory loss? Or was she hiding something more sinister? A ploy for some greater scheme?

"You do not know of them?"

She shook her head, looking lost. A moment of tense silence passed between them before she stood up to look him in the eye. There was a look of wariness over her face as she pondered over the new information. Tobirama stood still, waiting for what would happen next. How she behaved now would determine how roughly he would treat her from now on. She was no threat, having had chakra suppressing seals placed upon her by Hashirama. She was too exhausted, too disadvantaged against him, to possibly attempt a physical assault. They both knew that. Therefore, if he was unduly ruthless, and she proved to be absolved of any sinister intentions, he would never hear the end of it afterwards. Hashirama would pester him to no end about unnecessary cruelty.

Eventually, she spoke slowly, almost hesitantly, as if she, herself, was not sure as to why she had changed her mind on her silence.

"My name is Sakura. I come from a village far from here. I… I am not sure if I can return."

He nodded patiently, folding his arms across his chest. It was in all likelihood that her village had been destroyed in the never ending conflict between clans. Smaller clans never survived long on their own, often being overrun by more powerful clans. Any surviving men and the elderly would be killed. Women would be kept as play things and for the purpose of bringing in new blood into the stronger clan. Children who were too young to know any better would be trained to value their new owners above all else, even their lives and that of their blood kin. Children old enough to be trained in the Shinobi ways often did not make it out of the initial conflict. Such was the harsh ways of war.

"You escaped?"

Her frown deepened as she raked her eyes over him, assessing him like he did to her.

"I guess I must have gotten away. I remember fighting one moment and then feeling a tugging sensation… Next thing I knew, I was in this room."

Well, he had confirmation that she was not a civilian. It seemed memory loss was not an issue with the girl either. However, a potential new threat existed, if her destroyed village was any indication. He would inform his brother as soon as he was done here. Her short explanation raised the intriguing question of how did those seals come to be if Sakura had not made them herself? He would investigate them later. If he was unable to decipher the meaning behind them, he would call on the aid of one of his allies. No seal would remain unsolved in the presence of an Uzumaki.

Trying to gauge her capabilities, he inquired,

"You are trained as a kunoichi? That is unusual."

Sakura nodded.

"Yes, I am. I was also trained to be a medic nin."

Tobirama felt his eyebrows raising on their own accord. There was no indication of dishonesty. A medical Shinobi? How rare. Perhaps, if she proved not to be a threat, his clan could utilize her abilities. They had few ninja trained in the arts of healing. Most having been killed. Of those that remained, few had any real skill in healing.

He would test her claim later. Perhaps, he would test her the next time he would come for questioning. For now, he settled on a few more personal questions about her clan, trying to paint a picture of her. Her clan's customs and beliefs would help him figure out her personality and potential motivations without forcing him to ask her directly. That would not be done just yet. He wanted to see how she reacted. If she tried to hide information that was no longer as useful as it once was. A dead clan's customs was not most people's top priority to learn about in the grand scheme of things.

Sakura was obviously hiding something as she explained little bits of her life, but he would let it slide for now. Instead, he focused on watching her face as sorrow took hold of her. The loss of her family was no lie. She was attached to her home and felt great pride in being a part of their Shinobi forces. It was not rare for women to be Shinobi in her clan. Training medics had been a prioriy there as well as maintaining peace. They had held no desire to engage in war.

She stopped talking after divulging this information, possibly feeling that was more than enough freely given information. She would want some of her own questions answered soon.

Unfortunately for her, Tobirama was not going to answer her future questions. Instead, he left without a word. His mind turning over the information from the kunoichi.

The girl was intriguing and he had no intention of letting her go just yet. No, he wanted to learn more about her. His curiosity was piqued and little would be able to stop him from satisfying it.

After all, knowledge was power.

Dispelling his henge, he went to find his brother. There was much to discuss.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Sorry for the long wait. My job requires me to be away from internet connection for quite long stretches of time. I hope you like the chapter!**

A few days later, Tobirama stood outside of Sakura's holding cell, drenched from the rainstorm blowing through the area. An unhappy scowl graced his features as he debated upon waking the sleeping prisoner. A patrol team had entered into a late night skirmish with the Uchiha. They had managed to survive the encounter, but they were in dire need of medical aid more advanced than the basic first aid most of the clan knew. Hashirama had suggested letting the girl prove herself as a medic, which was an idea he was not pleased with, but could not fault. They simply had no one else. His brother did not know how to use his incredible healing powers on anyone, but himself so that just left her as the only other option.

Once again the unassuming brown haired man, he entered the area. Surprisingly, the girl did not stir from her sleep. Most likely because exhaustion had finally won out over her battle to stay awake these last few days, Tobirama supposed. He nudged her side a bit harshly with his boot, refusing to let himself be excessively exposed while waking her. It never hurt to be too cautious.

The girl groaned, opening green eyes blearily. It did not take her long to register that he was there and she quickly scrabbled away before standing, looking confused and sleepy. His glower worsened at the very un-ninja like behavior. While she had said she was from a peace loving village, he had still expected her to instinctively try to grab his leg and knock him over. That was what he would have done had their situation been reversed.

Still, it lessened his threat assessment of her.

Jerking his head towards the exit, he stated, "I have need of you. Follow me."

She did not move, but furrowed her brows. A determined glint filled her eyes as she crossed her arms in defiance.

"You need me for what?"

Normally, he was a patient man, preferring to be cold and direct, but still polite. But tonight, his nerves were already frayed, as they usually were after entering into an argument with his brother over the Uchiha. His tolerance for any insolence at the moment was next to zero, and he found himself becoming irritated. He narrowed his eyes, took her by the shoulder, and shoved her in front of him.

"You are a medical ninja, are you not?" He ground out, watching to make sure she started to exit.

Instantly, her defiant demeanor changed, becoming concerned. She did not need to be told twice to leave and she started hurriedly leaving.

"How many are injured? How long ago? Where are they located?"

She rapidly fired off her questions as they exited the building into the rain. The girl hardly seemed to notice it as she looked at him impatiently for the answers, boots squelching in the mud as they walked. Quickly, he directed her to a set of three tents clustered in behind the main camp.

"Two. They arrived back around fifteen to twenty minutes ago."

When they arrived at the tents, he stopped her from entering any of them. She had forgotten the seal preventing her from using chakra, such was her concern over people she did not know. Or, Tobirama considered, she had not forgotten and was going to do her best with more traditional methods of herbs. Either way, it was admirable. She glared at him, shivering with her short hair plastered about her face,

"What? Do you want me to help them or not?"

Tobirama resisted the urge to snap at her. This woman frustrated him unduly and a part of him wondered why that was. Wordlessly, he formed a few one handed seals and watched with satisfaction as the chakra seal on her hand glowed briefly before fading away. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Th-thank you. Your trust won't be misplaced."

He did not deign to respond and merely he directed her into the largest tent without needing to be asked. Immediately, Sakura took control of the situation, demanding from the nearest attendant what the injuries were and what had already been done to help her patients. The Senju clanswoman, Aiko, only looked confused for a brief moment before launching into an explanation.

Tobirama moved out of the way of the exit and positioned himself to best watch the situation without being in the way. Even though he was on the opposite side of the tent from Sakura, if there was even the slightest chance she was going to cause harm, then he would be able to interrupt her long before she could carry out such an action. He eyed her shoulder briefly, ensuring the seal he had placed there was still intact from the rain.

He regarded the two injured men resting on cots as Sakura instructed the other woman to remove any remaining restrictive clothing while she set about checking their circulation and breathing. He recognized both of them as being lower ranked clansmen. They were not members he interacted with often and he could not think of their names at the moment. Both had severe burns to their arms, hands, and faces. The younger man had the worst of it. His left hand was already bandaged up, probably by Aiko, and his chest was burnt as well. He did not appear to be awake unlike the other patient. As a side note, he observed that both of their heavy armour had been removed and placed neatly out of the way.

Tobirama kept keen eyes upon both medics as he settled in for the long term.

* * *

He crept a little closer to Sakura as he examined her glowing green hands, curiosity having finally gotten the better of him. _Medical Shinobi indeed…_

It had been several hours since they had arrived on scene. The pattering of the rain on the tent had ceased hours ago and dark circles had started to appear under everyone's eyes. While Sakura had been healing the first one, she had ordered Aiko to tend to patient two to the best of her abilities. As a result, he had several temporary damp cloths covering the minor burns on his arms.

Patient number one, the one with the worse injuries, was out of danger for now, but still unconscious. Sakura had tasked Aiko with bandaging him up while she set about healing patient number two. Patient number two watched her with pain filled eyes, but stubbornly kept his mouth shut as she murmured soothing comments to him. She had assessed his right hand as worse than his face and had started the stabilizing process right away.

Tobirama, having limited medical knowledge, just watched in fascination. He had never seen such prowess in the medical field. He resolved to inquire more about who she had learned such skills from, for they surely must have been a master in the field.

After the first rays of dawn broke the horizon, Sakura stood up and wiped sweat off her forehead. She turned exhausted eyes upon him and smiled slightly,

"They should be out of the worst of it. I recommend keeping them here for now. They should be checked up on shortly to see if anything changes. Once, they have healed more on their own, I will have to take a look at their hands to see if any of their nerves have been damaged."

He nodded and gestured for her to follow him out. She frowned briefly at his lack of gratitude, but did as he had indicated. Hashirama would be pleased. Pleased for the continued survival of his clansman and that the girl had not been lying about being a capable medic. Knowing his elder brother, he'd probably show up to thank Sakura personally before long. Tobirama, of course, would have to try and stop him. His interrogations were not over and it would be unwise to have the clan leader meet with an unknown element. Even if that clan leader was one of the strongest shinobi alive.

As he led her back to her cell, he noticed that she appeared to be mulling something over as she chewed her bottom lip absent mindedly. She went into her prison without complaint and held out her hand obediently.

He carefully took her hand and began to redraw the chakra seal. He did not need ink to draw seals, unlike his brother. He had spent many years learning the art, both on his own and whenever the Uzumaki had visited. In those many years, he had learnt how to draw various uncomplicated seals with just his chakra and a few hand signs. His brother, despite having an above average chakra control, did not have the precision required for such an art. He would always require ink.

When the seal once again appeared, he looked up from his work and released her hand. She stared at him in wonder.

"I've never seen someone able to do seals in that manner."

He raised an eyebrow and bluntly stated, "And I have never seen someone with such skill in healing."

Conversation over, he exited the cell and locked the door. He would question her later. Now, he needed to inform Hashirama of the news and then get some rest. But, before he could vacate the area, Sakura's voice called to him.

"Wait! I need to know something!"

He paused with his back towards her. He did not owe her any information, but, a part of him felt that he did. Even if she was just doing her job, she had saved Shinobi foreign to her. He heard her footsteps approaching and waited.

"While I was in the tents, I could not help, but notice your clan symbol… Are you... Senju?"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I'm sorry for the long wait. I've been kept very busy with work and I don't foresee another chance to get another chapter out for at least another couple of months. I hope you like it!**

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Tobirama scowled as Hashirama practically manhandled him out of their house that evening, intent on meeting Sakura for the first time while she was conscious. His older brother was practically beaming as he shoved him out the door and gleefully said,

"It's not as if she doesn't know that we are Senju, brother. What harm is there in seeing her in person? She did help us after all!"

His brother was so happy it almost _hurt_ to look at him. Hashirama had been dying to meet Sakura ever since he had found her in the woods. Now that Tobirama was failing to find sufficient enough reasons to delay their meeting any longer due to his grudging admittance of them being Senju, he was not taking no for an answer. After all, what harm could she do to them caged like she was? According to him, Tobirama was just being a highly overprotective younger brother who needed to loosen up a bit. Or, as Hashirama had put it, he needed to take that stick out of his ass.

He didn't appreciate that sentiment. It never hurt to be too careful with the Clan Head when there were always Uchiha prowling about. He had already lost too many in this war. He did not think he could handle it if anything happened to Hashirama when he could have prevented it.

He made a noise of disgruntlement, which was the closest thing he would say to an admittance of defeat, as he stumbled out the door and tried to regain his footing. Reluctantly, he allowed Hashirama to lead him towards their makeshift prison. He was not about to become the clan's entertainment for the day by giving them the spectacle of watching him be dragged, quite literally, to their destination. Hashirama would drag him by the scruff of his neck if he had too and Tobirama was not willing to endure the humiliation of that. Hashirama did not care if he made a ridiculous scene like Tobirama did.

As he sullenly trudged along after his practically skipping brother, giving nods of greeting to any clan members that crossed their path, he once again pondered upon the seals that had surrounded Sakura. After he had left the woman earlier that morning, and knowing that his brother was likely not awake, he had gone to the place she had appeared in to study the area once more, looking for clues that might have been missed. It had been his first time inspecting the area, having been too preoccupied with clan matters and keeping an eye on their captive.

The area had been just as Hashirama had described it. The grass was flattened outwards in a circular pattern around a central point. That point still bore the intricate seals from before, though they had appeared to be fading. He had edged nearer to the seal, taking care to follow Hashirama's footsteps in order to preserve the scene a little longer, and had knelt by the seal only to discover, when he had placed his fingers along the edge of it, a strange sense of _familiarity._

It was this feeling that was bothering him now. He had never seen such a seal before. He could not ascertain why it would feel that way to him. The chakra behind it had long since faded away even by the time Hashirama had stumbled upon it. Though, by the looks of it, it must have taken a large amount of chakra to activate. There had been nothing left, but the ink coloured pattern burned on the grass, which appeared to be mostly illegible script. The design was atypical for an Uzumaki or summoning seal. With that knowledge, he had then proceeded to try and memorize it so he could redraw it for the Uzumaki, should it be gone by the time they arrived at the Senju grounds. After all, their clan lived quite far way and it would take them weeks to arrive once they received his missive. The sentry that had been posted to observe the area had given him little useful knowledge about it either. Nothing about the area had changed since the initial incident.

A hand was placed on his left shoulder, startling him back to reality. So lost in thought by the problem before him, he had stopped paying attention to his surroundings. How uncharacteristic for him. Hashirama stood facing him with his right hand on his shoulder, mouth set in a determined flat line. His dark eyes held a glint that Tobirama was all too familiar with seeing. Though, it was unusual to see it out of battle. Whatever it was that his older brother had decided, it would probably be something that he would not agree with and there would be no changing his mind about it either. He resigned himself to this as he questioned,

"Yes, brother?"

Hashirama's grip tightened ever so slightly on his shoulder,

"I need you to wait outside," he paused, as if waiting for Tobirama to object, "There is something I wish to ask of Sakura in private. I am sorry."

Hashirama continued to stare him down as he speculated upon what the other Senju wanted to discuss with Sakura. His curiosity and desire to protect Hashirama was great indeed, but he nodded in quiet acceptance as he gazed back upon his brother.

"I will wait here then. Do try not to get yourself injured," he smirked, watching relief flood over his brother, even if there was a hint of annoyance behind it.

Hashirama scoffed, releasing him from his grip and turning towards the prison. Tobirama watched him go, crossing his arms and preparing to wait. With his sensory abilities, he would be able to tell the instant anything went wrong, _if_ they went wrong. While he waited, he stretched out his senses to the area around him, feeling his clan go about their daily activities, the patrol teams at the outskirts of their territory, and even the Uchiha within their clan borders. All seemed unusually quiet for now. He doubted that the peace and quiet would last. Peace may have seemed more and more likely between their two clans, with more and more Uchiha appearing to be reluctant to fight, but Madara was still adamant in his refusal for peace after he had severely wounded Izuna.

Secretly, Tobirama still thought they should have killed Madara when they had the chance, but he had to admit that the death of the Sharingan user may have rekindled the Uchiha Clan's desire to wipe the Senju off the map. Besides, his own brother would probably never forgive him, seeing as Hashirama seemed to believe that Madara would bring about peace eventually and would become a great asset to have as a friend. He just did not see what his brother saw in that unstable clan. But, alas, he was not the head of the Senju, so, if Hashirama desired peace with them, then he would try his utmost to fulfill his brother's desire. Just like Hashirama, he desired to see future generations not having to suffer the conflict they had endured.

After a few minutes of contemplation, he headed towards the building and leaned against the wall, looking up to the evening sky. The day's blue skies were turning into a stunning array of reds, oranges, and golds as the sun started to set, casting long shadows onto the ground. Today had turned out quite beautiful compared to the torrential rain of yesterday. Though the cool crispness of the air let him know that winter was on its way. Idly, he watched the clouds drift by as he allowed himself to relax for the first time in a long while. As he waited, exhaustion from the past twenty-four hours crept up on him and his eyelids soon felt heavy. _'That's right,'_ he recalled, _'I haven't gone to sleep yet…'_

He debated on heading to his bed for a bit of rest, despite the fact that there must have been a reason Hashirama wanted him to come and wait outside, when he heard the door being opened. He turned towards it, expecting to see just Hashirama exiting.

Instead, he was greeted by the sight of pink hair and nervous green eyes. She immediately bowed to him and he stiffly nodded back to her as he sent an inquisitive look to his brother, "What are you up to, Hashirama?"

His tone was steely as he looked at them both, pushing himself off the wall and turning to face them properly. The darker brother grinned sheepishly and brought a hand up to rub the back of his head.

"I figured that now would be just as good a time as any for her to look over her two patients."

There was something behind his brother's look that betrayed that there was an ulterior motive to allowing her out. Probably nothing serious so he let it go for now. Sakura kept glancing between them, looking a bit starstruck. Hashirama was well known throughout the land for his unique wood style jutsu, but Tobirama, while fearsome in his own right, did not think his reputation had spread very far compared to Hashirama. At least, not as far as her extremely distant village, if her description of how far away it had been was accurate. In his mind, he filed away the look for further examination later on. Now was not the time.

Hashirama took the lead to head towards the tents, Sakura walking beside him to not give her as easy a target as Hashirama's back, and he, himself, walked behind the two of them, keeping a careful eye on the kunoichi. He noted that Hashirama had already removed her chakra seals. She was quiet as they walked, but seemed strangely relaxed in their presence. He frowned. Such an unusual woman, she was.

When they entered they entered the tents, the two patients respectfully greeted Hashirama and him before they exclaimed a loud thank you to Sakura with matching grins. Both of them had recovered remarkably well in their absence, a testament to Sakura's healing skills. Tobirama had not expected them to look as lively as they did. Sakura looked a little abashed as she said that it was no problem to help them. She was just doing her job. Then, once again the confident medical nin from before, she approached them and asked to see their hands.

Tobirama and Hashirama moved to the side, just out of range of Sakura's hearing should they talk quietly to each other. For a moment, they silently watched as Sakura got one of them to flex their hand and then started to gently press on the end of each finger, asking if they could feel the pressure. The look on her face turned happy and relieved at her patient's answers. Good news then.

Still keeping an eye on her, Tobirama half turned to his brother as his brother looked towards him.

"Tobi," As Hashirama drew out the despised nickname, Tobirama suppressed a cringe.

"I'm letting her out of the prison. I do not think that she is a threat, but I want you to keep an eye on her and make sure she does not leave the compound. At least for now."

Tobirama blinked and then frowned. "Are you sure that is wise? We still do not know why she is here or how her transportation came to be."

He wanted to be blunter than that, to outright disagree, but Hashirama did not have his usual carefree look. No, he had that serious look from before. The one that usually only came out in dire situations. He most have learnt what he had wished to know from the girl, but it seemed he did not like the answer. Yet, he still deemed her safe enough to have around.

"I know that you do not trust her and I can't say for sure that I do either, but I see no reason to keep her imprisoned. I learnt what I needed to know and, to me, she her story matches what you've told me."

Tobirama's eyes were drawn to Hashirama's feet as he tapped the ground once. His eyes snapped back up to his brother's as he recalled the make of the prison's floor. _Wood_. It was nigh on impossible to hide anything from Hashirama with his connection to the wood around them. Had Hashirama just been verifying everything? He had been with her for quite a long time. Much longer than just asking a question or two. Intrigued, he asked,

"Just what is it that you learned?"

Hashirama turned back to Sakura, who had moved back to examine the man's face, and sighed, "It is not my story to tell, I am afraid. Suffice to say, I believe her. Should the need arise, I will inform you, but, for now, please trust me. Perhaps, she will tell you on her own. I can say this, however, she did not come here willingly, but I think you knew that."

Trust was something Tobirama had trouble giving on most occasions, but his brother was one of the few he gave it to unquestionably. Despite the haunted shadows that seemed to pass over his brother, he acquiesced. He looked back towards Sakura as well, wondering just what she had informed Hashirama of to cause such a look. Hashirama spoke up again as Sakura finished with her first examinations and moved to the other man.

"I will let her stay in the building across from here. She will need supervision even there. I was th-"

Tobirama interrupted before Hashirama could suggest who to watch her.

"I will keep an eye on her then. Should I be called away, it should not be difficult to find another to keep watch."

By staying with her, he hoped to glean the information from her that she had told Hashirama, even if he did not particularly feel like playing jailor to her at all times. Hashirama nodded, "If that is what you wish."

They fell into a comfortable silence after that discussion, using the time to observe and think. After a short while, Sakura said her goodbyes and approached them, seemingly satisfied with her results. Respectfully, she reported with an easy confidence born from years of practice in the medical field,

"Lords Senju, I am finished with my examinations. They are healing very well and I do not foresee any future issues with the use of their hands."

Hashirama grinned and patted her on the shoulder, "Great! Let's get going. I'll show you where you will be staying for now."

She smiled softly and allowed Hashirama to guide her out the tent. Tobirama, once more trailing behind, shook his head.

This was not a good idea. He only hoped he was wrong about this.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry about the shortness of this. I have had not much time to write this since I got back from my work. Unfortunately, I am leaving again Monday for a few weeks, but I'll try to update again when I get back.**

The small single story wood house was in fairly good condition, seeing as the former owner had passed away when he was still a child. Hashirama had ensured that the place was well taken care of should anyone ever have need of it in the future. While Tobirama had thought it was a bit silly to waste resources and time on maintaining an abandoned building, it seemed that his brother was right to do so for they had need of it now.

The house itself was just far enough away from the village center that curious eyes would not be drawn to it when Sakura moved in, but it was close enough that, should problems arise, he or someone else would be able to quickly respond to the situation. A part of him refused to think of himself moving in there too with the girl even if it was only to be temporary and he had volunteered to be her guard indoors as well as outdoors.

Sometimes, he cursed his curious and untrusting nature.

Hashirama beamed as he threw open the front door, allowing Sakura to enter the premises first. Tobirama followed in after them, placing one of his seals discreetly by the doorframe just in case it would be needed. As Hashirama continued to give a guided tour, he broke away from the group, intent on placing some extra security measures without Sakura's knowledge. Although he did have incredible sensing abilities, he could not be awake all the time. His brother would be able to handle the girl should she foolishly try something while Hashirama was alone with her.

In the end, he only set up traps to signal whether anyone was entering or leaving the premises by all the windows and the front door. Anything more obvious would likely be noticed as the kunoichi had rather keen eyes when it came to spotting details. Regardless if the traps were meant to repel outsiders or to keep her inside, he did not think the kunoichi would take it well and he did not want the resulting headache that would occur if she discovered them. He doubted that logic would take precedence in such an argument.

It seemed that the other two had gotten distracted talking to each other in one of the other rooms, but they were not loud enough for him to overhear and he had no desire to seek them out either for now. Fatigue was settling over him like a heavy blanket. A blanket that he was having difficulty pushing aside. However, he did wonder just what was being said seeing as they met a short while ago while she was _imprisoned_. Yet, he supposed, Hashirama had let her have some semblance of freedom unlike him, even if she did not know that he was the one who had questioned her yet. Perhaps that is why they got along so well. It also helped that Hashirama was charismatic and able to talk endlessly about anything unlike him. Tobirama was definitely the more introverted of the two of them, coming off as very unapproachable in comparison. He doubted that he would get along with her nearly as well. Not that he particularly wanted to get along.

He was only here to keep an eye on her and to find out what she had told Hashirama.

After a moment of standing around uselessly, he helped himself to a seat by a rickety table and rested his head in the palm of his right hand. His muscles were starting to feel sluggish and his eyes were beginning to ache terribly so he settled in for the long run. Hashirama was known for being able to talk for _hours_ if left uninterrupted.

He heard them approaching a short while after he found himself starting to doze off against his will. Hashirama was reassuring Sakura that, no, Tobirama was not there to keep her imprisoned. He was just here to make sure nothing happened to either her or the Senju clan. A safety measure. That's all he was until they knew her better. Tobirama barely resisted rolling his eyes as they appeared before him.

A safety measure, indeed.

After a moment's hesitation, Sakura took a seat opposite of him, causing him to sit up straight as Hashirama went around the room, lighting candles because it was getting very dark. Sakura was watching Tobirama with the same scrutiny in which she had examined his henge the first time they had interacted. Unexpectedly, she thanked them,

"Lord Senjus, I thank you for your hospitality-," Tobirama noted the uncertainty in her voice at hospitality, "-and for trusting me enough to give me a chance to prove myself to you."

Tobirama idly wondered, ' _What trust?'_ He had not given her any, not even when he had sent her to heal his clansmen. That had just been necessity. Hashirama, who was now taking a chair beside him, seemed happy enough about her statement before abruptly exclaiming,

"Oh! I have yet to properly introduce you two! Sakura, this is my brother Tobirama," He paused to take a breath, "and this is Sakura."

Tobirama did not do pleasantries so he just nodded stiffly in her direction while she greeted him properly. At least, he did not do them except when it was absolutely required of him. This did not seem like a situation that needed small talk for he was to be her observer. However, he normally was not ill mannered either. Belatedly, he realized that they had never met without his henge on, hence, the introduction. The exhaustion was affecting him more than he thought. That, or his brother must be rubbing off on him if he forgot something as simple as that. Sakura hesitantly smiled after he greeting, but there was a spark behind her eyes, almost as if she had just solved some difficult puzzle. Tobirama was not sure that he wanted to know what she had figured out.

An awkward silence fell over the group. None of them quite new how to proceed, even Hashirama seemed to be at a loss. Tobirama supposed that their easy going conversation had stalled because of his standoffish company. She, when not seeming a little awed, seemed a little intimidated by him now that the day was drawing to a close. She looked like a little mouse who had just realised that she was trapped between two very dangerous cats.

"Well now," Hashirama mentioned, shifting awkwardly in his seat, "I took the liberty of putting some food in your pantry. However, I suspect you will not eat here often," he turned to look meaningfully at Tobirama, "seeing as my brother will want to eat with me. Thus, you'll have to come along!"

Hashirama grinned at them both, steadfastly ignoring Tobirama's scowl. Sakura let out a surprised noise and thanked Hashirama again. His brother really did like to put himself in danger. Before, it was Madara. Now, it was with this kunoichi. It was a good thing his hair was already white. His brother was going to be the death of him.

Normally, most of the clan ate together in one long hall and Tobirama had assumed that was where he would have to bring Sakura, but it seemed his brother was making exceptions again.

A thought niggled at him. Just how long had Hashirama been thinking of letting Sakura roam about? And when did he find the time to get food for her between his reports, fighting the Uchiha, and dealing with clan matters? He supposed that he would never know the answers to those questions. Despite having grown up with him, Hashirama was a bit of a mystery to him sometimes. He was an open book and quite predictable and, yet, not at the same time.

Once again, the awkward silence returned. They spent several moments just staring at each other. Hashirama tried to hide his fidgeting, obviously at a loss for it was not often he had no words to say.

Suddenly, Hashirama stood up.

"Well, it's about time that I leave. I hope that you'll enjoy your time here. Tobi, try not to be too harsh, will you?" He laughed, darting outside as the others watched him go.

Tobirama stood up as well and looked down at the uncomfortable girl before him.

"I am going to go to sleep. I suggest that you do the same. Do not try anything."

He stared at her for a few more moments for good measure before making his way over to one of the two bedrolls conveniently leaning up against the wall. He picked one up and tossed the other to Sakura who caught it with ease. He turned his back to her and started to lay out his roll, choosing to stay near by the entranceway. Behind him, he heard Sakura get up and leave the area.

It was not until he had gotten comfortable that he realised that neither of them had eaten.


End file.
